Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A board game comprising a map of a political entity, such as the continental United States, bearing designations thereon of the major cities and also of the major transportation routes between such cities for various different modes of transportation. Two or more alternate routes utilizing respectively different modes of transportation are provided between adjacent cities. Each player is provided with a plurality of tokens, each representing a different form of transportation, and the objective of the game is to traverse a devious route over the map from a given starting point to a selected destination.

United States Patent Peters et al.

[451 Apr. 25, 1972 1541 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [72] Inventors: Jack Peters, 24008 Bessemer Street, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91364; James E. Williams, 1227 South Geneva Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90019; Ross Murray, 620 Crater Camp Dr., Calabasas, Calif. 91302; Lawrence F. Stoliker, 815 East Mountain Street, Glendale, Calif. 91207; Patrick T. Carlin, 3617 West La Grange Street, Newbury Park, Calif, 91320 [22] Filed: May 22,1969

[21] Appl.No.: 826,874

' [52] U.S.C1. ..273/134AC [51] lnt.Cl. ..A63f 3/02 [58] Field of Search .273/130,131,134,135

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D157,861 3/1950 Graves ..273/134 UX 2,930,621 3/1960 Gross et a1.. ..273/134 3,114,551 12/1963 Ouitz ..273/134 3,458,199 7/1969 Nelson ..273/134 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 525,521 8/1940 Great Britain ..273/134 AC 619,894 3/1949 Great Britain ..273/134 277,689 8/1964 Australia 273/ 1 34 569,648 8/1958 Be1gium..... 273/134 1,139,866 2/1957 France 273/134 1,208,733 9/1959 France ....273/134 599,206 Great Britain ..273/134 Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Att0rney-Hall, Pollock & Vande Sande [57] ABSTRACT A board game comprising a map of a political entity, such as the continental United States, bearing designations thereon of the major cities and also of the major transportation routes between such cities for various different modes of transportation. Two or more alternate routes utilizing respectively different modes of transportation are provided between adjacent cities. Each player is provided with a plurality of tokens, each representing a different form of transportation, and the ob jective of the game is to traverse a devious route over the map from a given starting point to a selected destination.

10 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures PATEinmPR 2 5 1972 3, 658.3 37 sum 3 CF 4 FIG. 2A.

IL/ I72 \TT n L-d mvmibRs J. PETERS J. E. WILLIAMS, R. MURRAY 1. .E STOL/KER, R r. cARu/v BY Haul, PM

ATTORNEY PATENIEUAPR 25 [972 3. 658. 337

SHEET i 6F 4 FIG. 5. FIG. 6. H61

:1 a v e FIG. 8. FIG. 9.

I Q) [El 0 E51 I LLA F 0a STATE CARD KENTUCKY w Transportation Rights Statehood June |,|792-l5thState NiCkname B|uegrass State C T0 P seuu I80 Flower -Goldenrod I Highway Tax '55 g gg -"zg ggg gq Mi 2.Railway Tax 2O r popi 3, B81000 3.A|r||ne Tax :25 Largest Citiesl ouisvi lle,Lexington, WQIEIWOY TQX 3O Covington Highest Point B|ack Mt.-4l45 Ft.

FIG. IIA. FIG. IIB.

RAILROAD AIRPLANE Broken Steam Line Causes Engine Mistiring-Go Back Delay. Miss One Turn It You 2 Spaces For An Engine Check S i 4 orLess, Then Spin And Continue Flight.

FIG. IIC. FIG. IID.

. AUTO BOAT You BlewA Head Gasket, Pay Mutiny Return To Your Last For Toyving( Back 5 Spaces) Port And Change To The And Transportation OfYourChoice INVENTORS FIG. 2 J. PETERS J ,E, WILLIAMS, RMIURRAY 41-7 srou/rzn, ETC/HUN HMMFM &

ATTORNEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Board games in which a playing board is illustrated with a map of a political entity, such as the United States, with various transportation routes thereon, are known in the art. Commonly, the objective of such a game is to travel between a selected starting point and a destination, with the first player reaching the destination declared as the winner. Such map board games provide the advantage of not only supplying entertainment but having educational value as well because of the geographical knowledge that is imparted to the player.

The board game of the present invention is substantially different from those known heretofore, and the differences are such as to increase the enjoyment of playing and also to provide added educational value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The map game of this invention comprises a flat surface member such as a board, heavy-gauge plastic sheet, or the like, upon which is imprinted, in adequately large scale, a map of a political entity such as the continental United States. The map comprises such details as' the boundaries of the various states, the capital cities of the various states, and more particularly illustrates the major transportation routes throughout the country which link the major cities. A particular feature of the invention is the disclosure on the map of a plurality of routes emanating from each of the major cities on the map, with the various routes representing respectively different directions of travel out of that city and also different modes of transportation. It is another feature that, between any one city on the map and a nearby city, there may be a plurality of routes, each one representing a different mode of transportation, e.g., highway routes for motor vehicles, waterways for boats, air routes for aircraft, and railroad lines for passenger trains.

Each player is provided with a plurality of tokens, each representing a different one of the possible modes of transportation over the surface of the map, and each player is required to traverse the board from one given point to another, using any of a large number of devious routes and using, in the course of the journey, any or all of the possible modes of travel. More specifically, it is contemplated that the objective of the game will be to travel from a starting point such as Los Angeles on the map and to travel from there to New York City and thence back again to Los Angeles.

Each player is provided with a specified quantity of play money of various denominations before the commencement of play. A money bank is provided, with one player acting as banker, and exchanges of money take place in the course of the game between individual players and the bank and also between players. After all the players have traversed the board to the selected destination, the player who has the most money wins the game.

It is another feature of the invention that a player, arriving at any one city shown on the map with a particular token representing a corresponding mode of transportation, may have the option of leaving that same city on the same or with a different mode of transportation. Thus, a player arriving at Kansas City on the map with, for example, a train, may leave Kansas City in any one of a plurality of different directions depending on the particular route that is selected out of Kansas City, and with any one of a plurality of different modes of transportation, depending again upon the particular route selected.

Each of the route portions on the map between any two cities is divided into a plurality of short segments, and the number of segments that each player advances in turn is determined by chance, as for example, by the turn of a spinner or the roll of a pair of dice. Of course, if dice are used, the game rules will ordinarily require that a player on at least some occasions will use a single die to permit the possibility of obtaining a count of one." Certain of the route segments are .distinctively marked, and a player landing with his token upon a segment so marked is then required to select a card from a group of cards related to the particular mode of transportation then being-used by that player. The selected card will bear appropriate messages for the mode of transportation in use and will provide instructions to the player, which instructions will have the general effect of either accelerating or retarding his progress across the board.

A still further feature of the game is the provision of a group of transportation rights cards, one for each state, with each card being purchasable from the bank by a player who first arrives, with anyof the various possible modes of transportation, at the state capital for that state. Any player electing to purchase such card thereafter has the right to charge any other player making use of the transportation facilities of that state a specified sum as designated on the state card.

The play money in the bank is further used to provide bonuses of varying amounts to the players as they return to the starting point of the game, i.e. Los Angeles. As stated above, the player who has accumulated the greatest amount of money at the end of the game is the winner, and it can thus be seen that the winner is not necessarily the one who first completes the race back to the starting point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the playing board of the game of this invention illustrating some, but not all, of the route portions between the various cities on the map;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed view of a portion of the map of FIG. ll, illustrating particularly the lay-out for the state of California;

FIG. 2A shows the mechanical arrangement of a portion of the map;

FIG. 3 is a detailed feature of the map of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows another detail of the map of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate the different tokens which are used by players, each token representing a different mode of transportation;

FIG. 9 represents the play money which is used by the players;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the opposite sides of a typical one of the state cards;

. FIGS. llA-l 1D illustrate typical ones of the various penalty and bonus cards which are provided for the several various modes of transportation;

FIG. 12 is a representation of a spinner which may be used for controlling by chance the number of spaces or route segments which are moved by any one player on a given turn; and

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative presentation for certain selected cities which represent the objective of a player traversing the board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The board game of this invention, as generally described above, comprises a playing board; a plurality of tokens for each of the players, with each token representing a different mode of transportation and with the group of tokens for each player distinctively identified as by a particular color; a group of cards, one for each state, bearing on one side information relevant to the corresponding state and on the opposite side infonnation as to the cost of the card and the amount of the tax which may be charged by the card owner for the use of the transportation facilities of that state; a spinner or the like, a supply of facsimile money; and a quantity of small discs (approximately 20) for each player of a distinctive color preferably corresponding to the color of the transportation tokens used by the respective player.

The board for the game is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 1. The map shown in FIG. I may be printed upon a relatively stiff and hard surface such as cardboard, plastic, or the like, or may instead be imprinted upon a foldable plastic cloth. Irrespective of the medium upon which the map is printed, it will hereafter be designated as the "playing board."

FIG. 1 shows the playing board as having imprinted thereupon a map of the United States showing the boundaries of each of the 48 states and illustrating also the major cities. Actually, because of the limited scale of the map as illustrated in FIG. 1, only selected ones of the cities and routes on the map are shown, but it will be appreciated that the full-scale map upon which the game is to be played will have sufiicient detail so that it will illustrate all of the state capitals and some of the major cities, and the major transportation routes between the various cities including highway routes, rivers and lakes, air routes, and railroad lines.

FIG. 1 shows, for example, between Houston, Texas at and New Orleans, Louisiana at 11 a highway route 12 and also a rail line 13. Similarly, out of Seattle, Washington at 14 are shown routes in various directions and comprising different modes of transportation such as air route 15, highway route 16, rail line 17, and ship route 18. It will be noted that each of the route portions between any two cities is divided into a plurality of segments, each segment representing the advance of a token representing a particular form of transportation a single space from one city toward the next.

Associated with certain ones of the spaces are specific instructions which inform the player of what he is to do. For example, as shown on the route portion between Miami and Charleston, S.C., which cities are designated respectively at 19 and 20, is a sea route divided into a plurality of segments 21 and associated with a particular one of these segments at 22 is a representation of a space capsule with an accompanying legend reading Apollo Recovery Wait Three Turns." In a similar fashion, on the air route between Houston and Miami designated at 23, a particular one of the route segments bears a representation at 24 which directs the players attention to a symbol of an aircraft with the accompanying legendPlane Hijacked To Cuba Forfeit Game.

FIG. 2 illustrates in substantially greater detail than does FIG. 1 the manner in which the map is prepared for each state. Thus, FIG. 2 illustrates the boundaries of the state of California and also two cities thereof, the first being Los Angeles at 25 and the state capital, Sacramento, at 26. Los Angeles, it will be recalled, is the starting point of the game, and this city is represented by a semi-circular band which is divided into a plurality of segments numbered from 1 through 12. Sacramento, at 26, is one of the plurality of state capitals on the map which may be provided with an adjustable, rotatable member 27 which is affixed to the main board member as by a staple 28 or the like (see FIG. 2A). Thus, this circular member 27 may be rotated to any desired position so that any one of the numbers from 1 through 12 printed thereon along its annular circumferential portion may be aligned with any incoming route portion. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the member 27 is rotated so that the number 7 thereon is aligned with the route portion 30 extending upwardly from the segment 2 associated with the semi-circular band 25 which represents Los Angeles. However, it will be appreciated that the member 27 may be rotated to any desired position so that any of the I2 numbers thereon may be aligned with the route portion 30.

FIG. 2 further illustrates, in considerably greater detail than FIG. 1, the various routes which may emanate out of any city on the map. For example, out of the square designated No. 6 for Los Angeles, there is shown a highway route portion 31 extending generally to the north, and an airline route is shown at 32 which extends generally northeast from Los Angeles at square No. 7. At No. 8 a northeastbound rail line is shown, and at No. 9 another highway route is shown. Similarly, extending out of the segments 8 and 9 associated with the city of Sacramento at 26 are two waterway routes designated as 33 and 34, respectively.

It will be noted that certain of the route segments are provided with distinctive markings such as the rectangles 35 and 36 on the route portion emanating out of the square No. 11 associated with Los Angeles and also the distinctively marked circle 37 on the air route emanating from the square No. 10, also at Los Angeles. As will be later explained, these distinctively marked route segments provide an indication to a player alighting thereon with the particular transportation token then in use by him that he is to select one of the bonus-penalty cards which are made available for that purpose. These cards inform a player as to what he must then do, and this generally involves his either moving ahead or backward, losing a turn, receiving or paying money, etc. At certain places on the map, a figure-eight pattern may be provided as shown, for example, in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the figure'eight pattern is provided for Fort Worth and Dallas. A player alighting on the square 40, for example, and proceeding eastbound toward Fort Worth may take the bypass comprising the squares 41a-41f over to the square 42 which is east of Dallas. This route is shorter than the one which must be taken by other players who do not land directly on the square 40 and must therefore taken the figureeight pattern from square 40 to square 42. Any such player may proceed in either direction around the figure-eight; for example, a player moving from the square 40 may occupy the square 43 and then in succession the squares 44a-44f, 45, and thence to 42. It will be apparent that a player may also take the alternate route around the remainder of the squares comprising the figure-eight pattern. In any event, a player traversing the figure-eight between squares 40 and 42 will be required, in effect, to take a longer route than if he happens to alight upon the square 40 which permits him to take the bypass route. It will, of course, be apparent that the same considerations apply in the case of one proceeding westbound from square 42 to square 40.

FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which a city other than one of the cities such as Sacramento in FIG. 2 may be designated on the map. Thus, each such city comprises an annular designation of a plurality of route portions, in the case of FIG. 4 comprising six such portions and with each representing different routes into and out of the respective city. Of course, more or less than six portions may be used, and it is even possible to provide only two portions corresponding to two routes leading into and out of a city.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate the different types of transportation tokens which may be used by each player. Thus, at the beginning of the game, each player is provided with four tokens of a particular color such as those shown in FIGS. 5-8 and each representing a different form of transportation. Thus, FIG. 5 is a small replica of an airplane, FIG. 6 of a car, FIG. 7 of a boat, and FIG. 8 of a train. From the description given thus far, it will be apparent that each player will ordinarily use all of the tokens in the course of a game, transferring from one form of transportation to the other upon frequent occasions at the time of leaving one of the designated cities on the map.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the opposite sides of a transportation rights" card, one of which is provided for each of the states of the continental United States. FIG. 10A shows one side of such a card as bearing thereupon pertinent information relative to the state of Kentucky. Thus, the information includes the date the state was admitted to the Union, the nickname of the state, its state flower, capital city, area, population, the names of its largest cities, and the point of highest elevation in the state. This information is provided thereupon primarily for educational purposes as it is intended that players of the game shall have their knowledge of the United States geography increased by repeated playing. On the opposite side of each of the state cards is information relative to the transportation rights" for the state of Kentucky. Information is also given as to the cost of purchasing that card under rules which will be described hereinafter. Thus, as shown in FIG. 108, for the state of Kentucky, the transportation taxes provide a highway tax of $l5.00, a railway tax of $20.00, an airline tax of $25.00, and a waterway tax of $30.00. The different transportation taxes for the different states may be dif- IUIOH mm ferent as will also the cost of purchasing the transportation rights for any particular state.

FIGS. llA-llD illustrate various types of penalty-bonus cards. FIG. 11A illustrates a typical such card to be used by one who is using the railroad for transportation; FIG. 11B is for one using an airplane; FIG. 11C for one using an auto; and FIG. 11D for one using a boat. It will be noted that the instructions, as described briefly above, generally involve a player losing a turn, going backward or forward a prescribed number of spaces, etc.

FIG. 12 illustrates a spinner device which may be used by the players in turn to designate the number of spaces that each must move forward on each turn. Preferably, the spinner provides for a count of from 1 through 12. It will be apparent that, instead of a spinner, dice or the like may equally well be used; however, such alternative means should preferably provide for the possibility of obtaining a one count, especially at the beginning of the game to ensure the possibility of use of the particular route out of Los Angeles emanating from the No. 1 square.

FIG. 13 illustrates an alternative way of designating the two destination cities on the map, i.e., Los Angeles and New York. Thus, in FIG. 13, a generally semi-circular configuration is employed, the same as illustrated in FIG. 2, but the arrangement is such as to provide for a quite different way of computing the bonus which is paid to players for arriving at their destination city.

In the arrangement of FIG. 2, it will be recalled, the legend within the semi-circular band for Los Angeles indicates that the first player to arrive within the semi-circle was paid $1,000, the second $500, etc. According to the arrangement of FIG. 13, each player who arrives at a destination city such as either Los Angeles or New York is provided with a bonus payment which is dependent upon where ones token alights within the semi-circle. Thus, FIG. 13 shows that, within the outer semi-circular band, there are a plurality of concentric semi-circles each representing a further route segment extending inwardly toward the center dot 51 from the arrival square on the outer semi-circular band.

For example, assume that a player is heading in toward Los Angeles on the highway route leading into the square No. 6, and that such player is then on the particular square designated 48. Assuming that such player on his next turn spins the No. 8, he will then land on the square No. 6 with the count of3 and will use the remaining five counts to count five semi-circles inwardly toward the center clot. This will cause him to then alight upon the semi-circle 49 which, as indicated,

,results in a bonus to the player of $200.

As another example, assume that a player is on the particular square designated 50 on the highway route leading into Los Angeles at square No. 10. If this player then spins the number 12, this will enable him to travel all the way inwardly and land upon the inner circle 51, entitling him to the highest possible bonus of $1,000. On the other hand, if such player instead spins the number I, he will then land upon the square No. 10, and this will entitle him to receive a bonus of only $10, corresponding to the number of the square he is then on.

GAME RULES The rules of the game are generally as follows:

Each player is provided with four tokens, each representing a different possible mode of transportation and with the tokens generally having the form shown in FIGS. 5-8. The transportation tokens issued to any player are preferably all of the same distinctive color to aid in identification of each players position on the board. Each player is also issued a supply of play money as indicated at FIG. 9, and a quantity of discs which are preferably of a color matching that of the transportation tokens issued to such player. The discs are used. as hereinafter described, to indicate the ownership of the transportation rights cards for the various states.

The various state cards as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B are preferably disposed about the playing board of FIG. I, each state card for a particular state being positioned preferably on the state. Four different piles of penalty-bonus cards of the type shown in FIGS. llA-llD are also conveniently placed where they may be drawn, one at a time, by the players as required.

Any suitable manner of selecting the first player to take a turn may be employed such as by each player spinning the spinner of FIG. 12 and with the one who spins the highest number receiving the right to the first turn. Thereafter, each player to the left is the next to play.

The first player spins the spinner of FIG. 12 and moves from the semi-circle designating Los Angeles in FIG. 2 in a direction and in an amount corresponding to the number which he has spun. For example, assuming that the first player spins the number 6, this means that he will then move out of Los Angeles on the highway route designated 31 and will move along that route six spaces in accordance with the number which has been spun. Each player in turn spins the spinner and selects the route and mode of transportation in accordance with the number which has been spun. Thus, even at the end of the very first turn, all the players may be moving in different directions and on different forms of transportation away from Los Angeles and toward the ultimate destination of the first part of the trip which is New York.

When any player lands upon a darkened square or, in the case of a rail or highway route, upon a circle which is encircled by a larger circle as for example the designation 37 on the route leading out of Los Angeles on square No. 10, such player is then required to draw the top card of the pile of penalty-bonus cards for the particular mode of travel which he is then employing. The player places such card face down in front of him. At his next turn, before playing, he turns up his card and complies with whatever directions appear on the card.

Preferably, the various penalty-bonus cards for the different modes of transportation are provided with different colors so that they can be readily identified.

As a player moves across the map, he will enter the capitals of various states. The first player to enter the capital of any one particular state acquires the right to purchase the transportation rights for that particular state.

Preferably, at the beginning of the game, all the state cards are displayed on a rack in alphabetical order. When a player acquires the right to purchase such card, he is given the appropriate card, paying to the bank the cost thereof as designated on the card as shown, for example, in FIG. 10B. The player then places within the circle designating the state capital for that state one of the distinctively colored discs to indicate thereby his ownership of the transportation rights for that state.

It will be noted that the cost of the transportation rights of the card of FIG. 10B is equal to twice the total value of the taxes for the various forms of transportation for that same state. Of course, any appropriate price may be assigned to the various state cards. The person acquiring the transportation rights for any particular state may thereafter, and as long as he retains such transportation rights, assess the tax upon any player entering the state and using the transportation facilities. Thus, assuming that a player is the first to enter the capital of Kentucky and thereby acquires the transportation rights card for that state as shown in FIG. 10B, such player may thereafter charge any other player the amount of $15 for using the highways of that state, and the similar amount of the tax for the other forms of transportation as shown in FIG. 108. In the event that a transportation route, such as a waterway, borders two adjacent states, e.g., the Mississippi River, any player on such route is required to pay the transportation tax to the players holding the transportation rights cards for both states. In the event of a sea route, such as the one shown in FIG. 1 between Miami and Charleston, the player pays the transportation tax only to the holder of the transportation rights card associated with the state in which the destination port is located.

The first player to arrive at any particular state capital may decline the right to buy the transportation rights, whereupon the second player reaching the state capital may then buy the transportation rights for one-half of the original price. If the second player declines, then the third player to reach the state capital may receive those rights free. In the event that any player acquires the transportation rights for a particular state when another player is already occupying that state, any such other player must then pay immediately to the holder of the transportation rights the tax for the particular form of transportation he is then using.

The transportation rights or state cards may be sold by any player who has acquired them to any other player at any price not exceeding the cost stated on the card for such rights.

In the course of the game, a player who has purchased one or more state cards may increase his money supply by selling any such cards to the bank for one-half the stated purchase price. At the end of the game, each player may add the value of the transportation rights cards to his total money at hand to determine his net worth. In doing so, each card is valued at the amount stated thereon as the original purchase price even though the player may actually have paid less than that amount. In addition, each player, at the end of the game, is entitled to a further bonus dependent upon the number of transportation rights cards that he then owns. For example, a player may be awarded an extra $25.00 for owning two such cards, $50.00 for three, 100.00 for four, etc.

Any time that a player reaches a particular city on the map designated by a segmented circular portion as shown in FIG. 4, the player may proceed in either direction around that cir' cle and may depart upon any square so that each player has the option, upon arriving at any city, to leave that city upon any desired route and with any desired form of transportation. Because of the considerable number of routes which are available on the map involving different directions and different modes of transportation, a player must make a judicious choice as to the square upon which he leaves any city after once having arrived there. Thus, a player may readily determine that leaving upon a particular square will, with the amount previously spun, cause him to land upon a square or circle which requires the picking up of a penalty-bonus card, and this possibility may cause a player to deliberately take such route or, alternatively, to select another route which may appear initially to be a less direct route toward his ultimate destination but which, in his opinion, may eventually result in his arriving there more quickly. Of course, it will further be appreciated that the route which is selected by any player is dependent, at least to some extent, upon his desire to avoid traversing the transportation facilities of states whose transportation rights are already held by adverse players, since his avoidance of those states will eliminate the need for paying a transportation tax upon traversing them, At the same time, a player may desire to go considerably out of his normal route with respect to his ultimate destination in order to be the first to enter a state capital and thereby have the right to acquire the transportation rights for that state, bearing in mind that the overall objective of the game is to acquire the largest amount of money, the winner being the one who has accumulated the greatest amount of play money at the conclusion of the trip.

At certain of the state capitals, the player does not have the option of going around the circle for that city in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction and leaving upon any desired square but is instead required to follow a particular routing. These are the cities which, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, are provided with a rotatable circular portion thereon as shown, for example, in FIG. 2 at 27. The element 27 has its peripheral portion divided into 12 segments each bearing a number from I through 12, and the element 27 may be rotated so that any particular number thereon may be aligned with an incoming route to the city. For example, let us assume that a player is on the particular square designated 51 which is on the route north of Los Angeles and is connected with the square No. 2 foi' the Los Angeles semi-circular band. Assuming further that such player has spun the number 10, he will have used up six of those counts in reaching the square 52, whereupon he must then rotate the circular element 27 so that the number 7 is moved into position adjacent the square 52, and he will then complete his count around the element 27 in clockwise fashion, thereby leaving the capital city of Sacramento upon the square No. 10 which designates the westbound air route. Having reached the square No. 10, the player then moves his transportation token to the immediately adjacent square on that route so as to clear the circular member 27 for other players.

In the event a player lands on any square or circle which is already occupied by another player, the first player to occupy that square or circle is required to spin again immediately and move his token irrespective of whether or not it is his turn.

A player eventually traversing the continental United States and arriving at New York will then enter within the New York City semi-circular band and collect a bonus. In the event that the destination shown in FIG. 13 is employed for both Los Angeles and New York, it will be apparent that the amount a player is entitled to upon reaching such destination city is dependent upon the extent of his progress into the semi-circular band toward the center point thereof, with the bonus amounting anywhere from $200 to $1,000.

Any player may land on a square or circle which has associated therewith an arrow (not shown) which points in a particular direction. In that event, the player must then follow the direction designated by the arrow. This may require that a player actually reverse his direction or that he take a particular branch route at the location of a fork in the route, etc.

The playing board of FIG. 1 is illustrated as having thereon a map which is limited to the continental United States. Of course, if desired, any other political division may be employed, or there may be added to the map representations of Alaska and Hawaii, or these states may instead be provided in the form of separate playing boards which may be positioned adjacent the main board which bears the map of the continental United States.

What we claim is:

1. A board game for at least two players comprising in combination,

a playing board having on its playing surface a map of a political entity including a plurality of indicia representing respectively different geographic locations and a plurality of route portions between adjacent such locations which are each divided into a multiplicity of spaces,

at least some adjacent locations being connected by a plurality of route portions each bearing different indicia which are each representative of respectively different modes of transportation,

each of said plurality of route portions emanating from one said adjacent location and terminating at the other said adjacent location,

at least some of said locations being represented by a circuitous closed loop track divided into a plurality of spaces each providing a starting or termination point for a respective one of the route portions emanating from such location,

at least one of said tracks on said playing board being provided by a disc member whose center is located at the site of the corresponding location,

means for rotatably securing said disc member to said playing board,

said disc member having a peripheral portion divided circumferentially into a plurality of spaces corresponding in number to the number of routes emanating from said location,

said spaces being numbered in order for identification, whereby said disc may be rotated to bring any numbered peripheral space into alignment with any route leading into a corresponding location,

at least one token for each player being distinctively marked for the respective players,

and a means operable by each player in turn to indicate by chance the number of spaces that said player may advance.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which a set of tokens is provided for each player,

each of the tokens in a set being representative of a different one of the modes of transportation indicated on said playing board,

and each set of said tokens being distinctively marked for the different players.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which selected ones of said spaces on the various route portions are distinctively marked and said game further includes at least one plurality of cards for selection of one thereof by a player who in the course of play lands upon one of said distinctively marked spaces,

each said card including thereon a message giving specific instructions to a player.

4. The combination of claim 3 which includes a plurality of said cards for each of the different modes of transportation to thereby permit a player whose token lands on one of said distinctively marked spaces to select a card corresponding to the mode of transportation then in use by such player.

5. The combination of claim 1 in which said map on said playing board is divided into a plurality of political subdivi- SlOl'lS,

said combination further including a set of transportation rights cards, one for each said political subdivision, and each being issuable to any player who is first to alight with his transportation token upon the representation on said playing board of a designated location within the respective political subdivision,

each said card including thereon a schedule of taxes applicable to use by players traversing the various transportation facilities of that political subdivision and payable to the holder thereof.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which the map is a map of the United States and the political subdivisions thereof are the states of the United States with said designated locations comprising the respective state capitals.

7. The combination of claim 5 which further includes a quantity of facsimile money, a specified portion of which is distributed to the players prior to the commencing of play,

each said transportation rights card indicating thereon its purchase price.

8. The combination of claim 5 which also includes a plurality of sets of markers, each set being distinctively marked for the respective players,

each said marker being adapted for positioning by a player upon one of said designated locations on said playing board to indicate thereby his ownership of the transportation rights card for'the political subdivision in which such designated location is located.

9. The combination of claim 1 in which at least one location is indicated on said playing board by a semi-circular band which is divided into a plurality of spaces each associated with a particular route having a corresponding direction and mode of transportation and emanating from said location,

said plurality of spaces being numbered in turn for identification.

10. The combination of claim 9 in which the space between said semi-circular band and the center thereof is subdivided by a series of concentric arcs to provide thereby a plurality of successive spaces leading inwardly from each numbered space to said center. 

1. A board game for at least two players comprising in combination, a playing board having on its playing surface a map of a political entity including a plurality of indicia representing respectively different geographic locations and a plurality of route portions between adjacent such locations which are each divided into a multiplicity of spaces, at least some adjacent locations being connected by a plurality of route portions each bearing different indicia which are each representative of respectively different modes of transportation, each of said plurality of route portions emanating from one said adjacent location and terminating at the other said adjacent location, at least some of said locations being represented by a circuitous closed loop track divided into a plurality of spaces each providing a starting or termination point for a respective one of the route portions emanating from such location, at least one of said tracks on said playing board being provided by a disc member whose center is located at the site of the corresponding location, means for rotatably securing said disc member to said playing board, said disc member having a peripheral portion divided circumferentially into a plurality of spaces corresponding in number to the number of routes emanating from said location, said spaces being numbered in order for identification, whereby said disc may be rotated to bring any numbered peripheral space into alignment with any route leading into a corresponding location, at least one token for each player being distinctively marked for the respective players, and a means operable by each player in turn to indicate by chance the number of spaces that said player may advance.
 2. The combination of claim 1 in which a set of tokens is provided for each player, each of the tokens in a set being representative of a different one of the modes of transportation indicated on said playing board, and each set of said tokens being distinctively marked for the different players.
 3. The combination of claim 1 in which selected ones of said spaces on the various route portions are distinctively marked and said game further includes at least one plurality of cards for selection of one thereof by a player who in the course of play lands upon one of said Distinctively marked spaces, each said card including thereon a message giving specific instructions to a player.
 4. The combination of claim 3 which includes a plurality of said cards for each of the different modes of transportation to thereby permit a player whose token lands on one of said distinctively marked spaces to select a card corresponding to the mode of transportation then in use by such player.
 5. The combination of claim 1 in which said map on said playing board is divided into a plurality of political subdivisions, said combination further including a set of transportation rights cards, one for each said political subdivision, and each being issuable to any player who is first to alight with his transportation token upon the representation on said playing board of a designated location within the respective political subdivision, each said card including thereon a schedule of taxes applicable to use by players traversing the various transportation facilities of that political subdivision and payable to the holder thereof.
 6. The combination of claim 5 in which the map is a map of the United States and the political subdivisions thereof are the states of the United States with said designated locations comprising the respective state capitals.
 7. The combination of claim 5 which further includes a quantity of facsimile money, a specified portion of which is distributed to the players prior to the commencing of play, each said transportation rights card indicating thereon its purchase price.
 8. The combination of claim 5 which also includes a plurality of sets of markers, each set being distinctively marked for the respective players, each said marker being adapted for positioning by a player upon one of said designated locations on said playing board to indicate thereby his ownership of the transportation rights card for the political subdivision in which such designated location is located.
 9. The combination of claim 1 in which at least one location is indicated on said playing board by a semi-circular band which is divided into a plurality of spaces each associated with a particular route having a corresponding direction and mode of transportation and emanating from said location, said plurality of spaces being numbered in turn for identification.
 10. The combination of claim 9 in which the space between said semi-circular band and the center thereof is subdivided by a series of concentric arcs to provide thereby a plurality of successive spaces leading inwardly from each numbered space to said center. 